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BBC's Water Rocket-Vehicle Contest

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the putting-your-work-in-the-air dept.

jmichaelg writes: "The BBC is running a rocket contest to see who can build the fastest 2 liter water bottle propelled vehicle. The idea is you use a bicycle pump to pressurize the bottle to drive the vehicle. There are pressure limits (no more than 70 psi) so dry ice is out of the question. Gotta use a bike pump. Fastest car to go 20 meters is the winner. If you're going to play, you had better get going ... contest ends on Nov 6." Bonus points if you're riding it at the time.

6 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. Boyscouts by MxTxL · · Score: 3, Funny

    And you thought you escaped racing little model cars when you got out of boyscouts.

  2. The easiest way to win: by Omerna · · Score: 3, Funny

    Since the vehicle can have a moving start, just give it a good kick. This will easily move it 20 meters. (Well, maybe not easily, so get a little propulsion from the bottle too).

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  3. Water? Nah. by SEWilco · · Score: 2, Funny
    The rules don't require water. They happened to use water in their example.

    Mercury!

    Cleanup is left as an exercise for the experimenter.

  4. What about some adult beverage instead of water... by Powercntrl · · Score: 2, Funny

    With a very high proof... Once atomized by the high pressure air and ignited - it should make for a nice flame effect even if it doesn't do anything for increased propulsion. Flying two litre bottles of doom!!! Sounds like it would also make a good weapon for the next version of Quake...

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    DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
  5. =) by Myuu · · Score: 3, Funny

    Finally, something to use those old school NASA programs on!

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    forget it.
  6. Rolling starts... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Since the rules allow a rolling start, here's my plan:
    Take a pop bottle. Pressurize it to 70psi if you feel like it. Hook it onto the catapult on an aircraft carrier. Start timing once the bottle's airborne. :)